EDEKA is a German supermarket group whose visual identity is built around a widely recognized mark: a large blue letter “E” on a yellow background, commonly called the “Block-E.” The name EDEKA derives from the abbreviation “E.d.K.” for the Einkaufsgenossenschaft der Kolonialwarenhändler, a purchasing cooperative founded in Berlin in 1898, with the name establishing itself in 1911. The group’s headquarters are in Hamburg. [1]
Design and History
The first EDEKA trademark was officially registered in 1911. It combined the original abbreviation “EdK” inside a circle with the new full name, using an ornate serif typeface with decorative details and no color. [2]
In 1921, under new management, a redesigned logo appeared. The lower line of the initial “E” formed a loop around connected lowercase letters. The mark used black lettering on a yellow background and included a diamond emblem in the lower left corner featuring a rising sun with 13 rays. [2]
A 1947 revision removed the small emblem from the corner and shifted the yellow to a colder lemon tone. [2]
The first version of the Block-E arrived in 1965, marking the end of serif lettering. The design centered on a large yellow “E” inside a dark blue block against a blue background, with an additional “E” in a globe in the upper corner, the word “Euco” above it, and the brand name in blue lettering on a yellow rectangle below. [2]
The current logo, in use since 1968, removed these extra elements. What remains is the famous large blue “E” on a yellow background with the brand name in the lower section. [2] The blue-yellow logo is cited by EDEKA leadership as one of the shared elements that gives the group of roughly 4,000 independent retailers a consistent external brand image. [3]
While the standard current mark is used across EDEKA stores, the company has made exceptions for regional character. One Berlin location uses a logo from the 1920s as part of a store design theme referencing Berlin of that era. An EDEKA spokesperson confirmed this was an exception, noting that the current trademark is normally used in all stores. [4]
Meaning and Symbolism
The Block-E format is the defining element of the EDEKA identity. The mark is described by design observers as a large blue “E” in a yellow square. [5] The blue and yellow color combination is a traditional part of the cooperative group’s identity, with the logo described as “blau-gelb” (blue-yellow) in EDEKA’s own communications. [3]
Typography and Design
Since the 1965 redesign, EDEKA has used sans-serif lettering in its logo. The 1965 version introduced sans-serif type, replacing the earlier serif styles. [2] The current mark, simplified in 1968, retains this sans-serif approach with the brand name set below the Block-E. [2]
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